NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - The T Zone season will be running Oct. 27- Oct 30. People are reminded to wear blaze orange when out in the woods whether they are hunting or not. Buck scrapes and rubs are becoming more apparent lately. With the bucks becoming more active, drivers are cautioned to be extra alert since the deer may be less cautious when crossing roads. The forecasted weather for the Brule area is expected to be in the 50's for the highs and lows in the 30's into the weekend. The steelhead fishermen are finding that the fishing is still spotty. The Bois Brule River is flowing at 163 Cubic Feet per Second (CFS) The 60 year average is 156 CFS.
Ashland DNR Service Center area
Fishing has slowed down on Chequamegon Bay. Windy conditions and the run off from several storms have kept the Bay a turbid brown. This has kept anglers off the Bay. Inland lakes are producing some walleyes but they are on the small size. Live bait is has been the best bet this time of year to catch some fish for supper. Pan fishing has been good on some inland lakes. Again live bait is the key with fish suspended in the 15-foot depth range. Waterfowl hunting activity continues to be slow. There have been hunters out most days but the few ducks that are in the area scatter after the first shots. Some smaller flocks of divers can be seen out on Chequamegon Bay. Colder weather could bring in more divers but those numbers have been dropping in past years. Grouse hunters reported more success since some of the leaves have fallen. Hunters with dogs working aspen areas were having the most luck. Hunters who are driving around in vehicles looking for grouse along the roadways would improve their luck by getting out in the woods. Hunters are gearing up for the Zone T hunt that takes place in Units 1M, 2, 3, 6, and 14 in the Lake Superior Basin. The Zone T season, as well as the regular deer gun season, produce the same complaints each year: trespass, shooting from the roadways, etc. all give the hunters a bad imagine with the general public and add to the work loads of law enforcement. ATV operators visiting the area were finding wet trail conditions. Some of the main trails have washed out area and caution should be used. Most areas are marked with warning tape or signs. Call the local County Tourism office or Chamber of Commerce to get the latest updates on trail conditions.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Colder fall temperatures arrived in the Park Falls area this week. Water temperatures were cooling rapidly and lakes have turned over. Rivers have stabilized and adequate moisture is keeping fire danger low. Walleye fishing has been good for those hearty enough to endure the colder temperatures and windy conditions. Anglers have had good success with minnows. Deer are exhibiting territorial behavior and aggressive behavior between bucks. Does are avoiding close contact with bucks. The Zone-T deer season runs from Oct. 27 30 in designated Zone T units. Refer to the deer hunting regulations to determine the designation of the deer management unit in which you hunt. Bird feeding activity is brisk and it is a good idea to provide high quality high energy food if you feed birds this time of year. Also provide a source of fresh water. Grouse hunters are reporting flushing some birds and successfully harvesting a few. Success is better for those hunters who are utilizing dogs.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Cool and wet weather seemed to limit a lot of fishing activity in the Northwoods in the last week. Water temperatures have now dropped into the low 50s and upper 40s. Musky anglers have continued to provide most of the fishing pressure on local lakes and their success has been very inconsistent. Most anglers have reported some slow fishing conditions and active musky have been tough to come by. Many anglers are still tossing artificials and their slow action is being echoed by many of the sucker anglers. But there have been a few positive reports with some upper 40-inch fish being sighted in the last few days. There has been a recent surge in crappie action with quite a few reports of some decent catches. Some nice crappie have been found along and near the mid-depth cover, such as emergent weed lines and brush in 4 to 8 feet of water. Walleye success continues to be generally slow with only a few reports of catches being made. With the cold water temperatures, bass fishing is all but over for the year.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Area Conservation Wardens and guides report that water temperatures are ranging in the 40- to 50-degree range. The smaller lakes are in the low 40s while some of the larger lakes remain in the upper 40s. Walleye activity continues to remain steady and predictions are that this trend will continue through the first ice up. Best action right now is in 10 to 12 feet of water and in or near green weeds. Minnows have been the meal of choice. Smaller minnows fished in the same areas have produced some crappies for the frying pan. If you can find baitfish the muskies wont be far away. Time of day is noted as the biggest factor, with reports of many strikes in the late afternoon. Area guides recommend that anglers get out onto the water no matter what lake they choose. Suckers are the bait of choice for this species right now in the warmer waters while jerk or glide baits in the cooler waters are working best. As a reminder, dragging a sucker at the same time you move your boat around while casting and retrieving constitutes a violation of the trolling law. Although you can maneuver your boat while casting and retrieving a lure or bait, trailing another line at the same time is not allowed. With the leaves dropping, grouse hunters are reporting greater numbers of visible flushes. Woodcock numbers have been good as the migration moves through the northern part of the state. Pre-rut activity for deer is reported as ongoing with the appearance of small scrapes and rubs. The acorn crop this year is very good and hunters should concentrate some of their scouting around oak stands. Waterfowl reports indicate a few divers are moving through the area right now. Most larger bodies of water will hold these birds while they rest for a few days before continuing their journey south.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Manitowoc County - Anglers have had good luck fishing for chinook salmon at the Mill Street and Manitou Park access points. While most fish have been caught in the lower river, a few fish have made it as far as Cato Falls and Clarks Mills Dam. Action continued to be good on the East Twin River in Mishicot and at downstream bridge crossings for chinook salmon. Try using yarn balls on a single hook beneath a split shot. On the West Twin River, good numbers of fish were still being caught at Shoto and with colder weather temperatures there were fewer anglers out. Salmon fishing in the Manitowoc Harbor slowed a bit in the past week, but those anglers who put the time in were catching fish. Successful anglers were using mostly spawn sacs.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County It was a wet week weather-wise. Most days were cool and blustery with scattered showers and even an occasional thunder clap. The fall colors are still here with beautiful vistas presenting themselves in all direction. It was especially beautiful when the showers let up and the sun came out to present a sparkling display of natures autumnal beauty. Anglers trolling the Sturgeon Bay ship canal continue to have luck on salmon, along with some nice size northern pike, although the salmon action seems to be tapering off. Anglers fishing the many harbors of northern Door County are having some luck on chinook salmon and brown trout. Small spoons along with spawn, corn and even flies appear to be the best bets in the northern harbors. Perch fishing was still good with catches of 7- to 9-inch perch being reported by anglers fishing from Sturgeon Bay south along the shores of Green Bay. Minnows, worms, crabs and jigs all seem to be producing fish. Up north the harbors at Egg Harbor, Fish Creek and Sister Bay continue to produce some perch. Northern pike fishing was still heating up, with good action reported from Sturgeon Bay, Little Sturgeon Bay, and the area around Henderson Point, Egg Harbor, and the Sturgeon Bay ship canal. A 40-inch northern was reportedly caught from the shore at Sawyer Park in downtown Sturgeon Bay. The walleye action continued to heat up with anglers fishing the points, reefs and along the shorelines of Green Bay and in Sturgeon Bay. The bigger fish are reportedly being taken at night. Smallmouth bass action continued to slow down; however a few bigger fish were starting to show up near shore. Spinner baits and tube jigs continue to produce a few fish, along with night crawlers and minnows.
Peninsula State Park - All hiking and biking trails are dry and in excellent condition. Fall foliage is at its peak in the Park. Expect good colors for at least one more week!! Tennison Bay campground remains open year-round, though flush toilets and showers will be closed Oct. 30-April 30. Peninsula State Park golf course will be open until the end of October. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse remains accessible to the public, though guided tours will not be provided until next spring.
Whitefish Dunes State Park - The forecast was for great leaf color this fall but it haas really been exceptional. Door County is spectacular and hopefully the trees will maintain the extravaganza through October. The park trails have been very popular and in addition to the show the trees are putting on; we have experienced an explosion of mushrooms and fungi. The variety of shapes and colors is amazing. Bird watching enthusiasts have been treated to warblers in parking lot 4, bufflehead ducks on Whitefish Bay, and pileated woodpeckers along the black trail. The deer have begun to take on more of a winter appearance and a pair of wild turkeys are back visiting the maintenance shop on a semi-regular basis. There has been more Cladophora algae on the beach this fall than seen previously. After rough water on Lake Michigan visitors can expect the shore to be green for a few days, until wave action can disperse or cover the algae. For those who are caught up on fall home chores and want to get out, the park is hosting Dune Day - our annual volunteer work day on Saturday, Oct. 29. There will be a morning work session from 9 a.m. to noon and an afternoon session from 1to 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided in the park picnic shelter. For work and lunch planning purposes we would like folks to call the park at (920) 823-2400 for more information and to sign up for Dune Day.
Kewaunee County - With the chinook salmon run starting to die down many shore anglers have had a rather difficult time finding fish. A few chinook salmon, coho salmon, and brown trout were taken this week, but only after many hours of fishing. Fishing with spawn sacs, stick baits, as well as various spoons in blue, green, and silver have worked the best. Anglers fishing the Kewaunee River or the Ahnapee River have been catching mainly chinooks with a few coho mixed in as well. At this time in the year the chinook salmon are in pretty rough shape, however, the coho salmon are in excellent condition and still have a lot of fight left in them. Try fishing these fish with various yarn flies, spawn sacs, or spinner baits. In Kewaunee County, trollers have seemed to have given up for the year giving way to the many duck hunters. A few boats have come back to the launches with their limit of ducks by early afternoon. With the resent rain showers this past week quite a few leaves have fallen, however, its still not to late to take a Sunday drive along the breathtaking Lake Michigan shoreline.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Milwaukee DNR Service Center
Fall colors are striking! Its worth the short drive through the Kettle Moraine just to enjoy them. Purple sumacs, rusty-red oaks, yellow aspen and blazing red maples are all combining to light-up the country-side. Color is at peak and will not get any better! Plus, every few miles theres a road-side stand selling apples or pumpkins; or a church offering a Sunday turkey dinner. What a great time to get out and enjoy the outdoors!
The region received a little well-deserved rain; just enough to wet the ground in most areas. On Saturday, pheasant hunters took advantage of the good, wet scent conditions and their dogs seemed better at finding pheasants. Lots of pheasant hunters were out on Saturday and most saw birds. Birds were definitely grouped though; you could walk a mile seeing nothing, then jump a pair of pheasants hanging together. Fewer pheasant hunters were out in the steady drizzle on Sunday.
Archers are taking some very nice white-tail bucks as deer movement is definitely on the increase. Rubs and scrapes are very common now; just last week there were only a few in the woods. More deer are falling to cars too; so be careful on your drive! All of the Southeast Region offers some form of gun deer hunting starting this Thursday, Oct. 27 and running through Sunday, Oct. 30. What deer can be taken varies depending on which of three zones are being hunted -- Zone T, CWD-Herd Reduction or the CWD-Disease Elimination Zone. Please call a local DNR service center for more information on the hunts offered in each of these three zones. It is very important for all hunters in the field between Oct. 27 and 30 to be aware that they must have at least 50 percent of their upper body and 50 percent of their hat blaze orange; no matter what game they are hunting (except waterfowl). People hiking or biking in the Kettle Moraine, or near any wooded area where gun deer hunting may occur, should consider wearing blaze orange or brightly colored clothes over the next several days while the first deer gun hunt is on. Local DNR service center telephone numbers are: Waukesha (262) 574-2100; Sturtevant (262) 884-2300; and Plymouth (920) 892-8756.
Nice, calm weather is encouraging lots of anglers to still venture out on SER waters; with some fishing well after dark. Walleyes were probably the intended target; although muskies have been active late in the evening as well. Southeast Wisconsin had some drizzle and scattered showers over the weekend, but the rain did not do much to improve water levels on area rivers. The rain did, however, trigger some upstream movement of chinooks and coho.
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan shore fishing has been relatively slow off the piers. Only a few chinooks and rainbows have been taken on spawn. Water levels are low on the Sheboygan River, and anglers have been taking a few chinooks and coho on dark colored flies.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington shore anglers fishing the harbor and near the power plant have been catching a few chinooks, browns, and coho. Spawn sacs have been most productive.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee anglers fishing off McKinley ramp, near the Sailing Center in Veteran's Park, and off the ramps at Bender Park have been catching chinooks and a few browns on spawn under a bobber. Anglers on the Milwaukee River have been taking a few chinooks at Estabrook Park. The gates on the Estabrook Park dam were opened on Oct. 17, and good numbers of chinooks have made their way up to Kletzsch Park. Despite low water levels, fair numbers of chinooks are holding in the Menomonee River at Miller Park. Flows remain low on Oak Creek, but anglers fishing below the dam have been finding fair numbers of coho.
Racine County - In Racine 870 fish were processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Monday, October 24. So far this season we have passed upstream 3,092 chinooks, 233 coho, 9 steelhead, 122 browns, and 1 pink salmon. An additional 91 skamania strain steelhead and 49 coho have been taken to the hatchery for later spawning. Our next processing days will most likely be Tuesday Oct. 25 and Thursday Oct. 27. Water levels on the Root are still low, and anglers have been taking most chinooks and coho on slowly drifted flies or spawn in the Washington Park golf course. Fishing has been difficult from Lincoln Park all the way upstream to the Horlick dam.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha the Pike River is low, and only a few chinooks have been taken near the mouth. Shore anglers have been catching a few brown trout on tube jigs in the harbor behind the Holiday Inn.
Walworth and inland Racine and Kenosha counties - Water temperatures have cooled to the low 60s and high 50s. Northern pike and musky are active in 5 to 20 feet of water. Anglers are having success using minnow imitation lures and shiners and suckers. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are hitting both artificials and chubs near shore out to 10 feet of water at night. Bluegills are dispersed in water 15 feet and shallower.
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Fishing has been excellent for the few anglers venturing out lately. Limits of nice panfish were reported from Big Cedar Lake near West Bend. Largemouth bass action was excellent at Big Cedar and Crystal Lake in Sheboygan County.
Waukesha County - Lakes are receiving heavy angling use for this time of year. Lots of night-time activity indicating anglers are trying for that evening walleye. Walleye fishing has picked up on some Waukesha County lakes. Anglers were fishing drop-offs in 8 to 10 feet of water using slip rigs with big golden shiners. Best action was noted on Pine, Oconomowoc, Golden and Nagawicka. Musky anglers reported good luck fishing in 14 to 22 feet of water on big crank baits and sucker rigs. Smallmouth bass action was very slow due to cold water temps. However, anglers lucky enough to find warmer water have had some action, and are catching some nice large smallmouth.
Southern Unit - Kettle Moraine State Forest - Fall color has reached its peak. At the Headquarters we have information on the Scenic Drive from the Southern Unit to the Northern Unit. We have a free panphlet and also one booklet with a map that sells for $4.95. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday . It is a beautiful drive going from just southeast of Whitewater to the Broughton Sheboygan Marsh Park and Wildlife Area (about 2 hours Northeast)!All trails including - hiking, mountain bike and equestrian trails are open and in good condition at this time. Remember that conditions can change rapidly. For updated trail conditions please call the Trails number at (262) 594-6202. These areas are also open to hunting small game and from Oct. 27 - 30 the early deer gun season. All hunters are required to wear the blaze orange (bright orange clothing) to insure that they can be seen by other hunters. It is also recommended that you as hikers wear the bright colored clothing so they can also see you. Ottawa Lake Campground remains open year round. The first toilet building in the campground will be open. The Dump/Fill station will also remain open through this weekend. Pinewoods Group Camp remains open until mid-November. Pinewoods Family campground closed for the Season. If Ottawa Lake campground should fill one of the loops at Pinewoods will be opened to accommodate all campers. Hickory Woods Group campground is closed for the season. Whitewater Lake campground is closed for the season.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Grant County
Wyalusing State Park - Trails are in good condition. Many trails have been brushed recently to remove encroaching vegetation. Even though we have passed the fall color peak, and many of the leaves have fallen, there is still color on the bluffs and along the rivers. There should still be some color this weekend, unless the area receives rain and wind. According to local anglers, fishing activity has been good. Nice catches of bass and bluegills have been reported. The Mississippi River has been dropping steadily. River level today at Prairie du Chien is 9.1 feet. There should be plenty of non-electric campsites available for this weekend. Electric campsites will be difficult to obtain. All of the water (showers, flush toilets, dumping station and drinking faucets) in the entire park, including the Wisconsin Ridge and Homestead Campgrounds has been shut down for the season. Water is still available at the winterized faucet located next to the shower/flush building in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground. Campers wishing to fill their tanks can do so at the winterized faucet if they have their own hose. Campers can use the dumping station if there is enough water in their holding tanks to flush. Some of the Wisconsin Ridge campsites have been recently brushed, providing an excellent view of the Wisconsin River Valley. Spring and summer migrants have left for the year. Regular visitors to the office feeders include: tufted titmice, chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, nuthatches, mourning doves, juncos, red-bellied woodpeckers, and goldfinches. Goldfinches have lost the brilliant yellow and black plumage of the summer. Pheasants have been seen near the Visitor Center. As the weather gets colder, the numbers and species should increase. During the next two weeks, the red planet Mars, makes its closest approach to Earth until July 2018. The Starsplitters of Wyalusing will host an observing night at the park's Lawrence L. Huser Astronomy Center observatory. The program is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday Oct. 28 night, but if the weather promises to be better on Saturday night, the program will be on Saturday night. Please call the park office at (608) 996-2261 on Friday to see which day the program will be held. The evening begins with a presentation by John Heasley on how Mars moves through the heavens and why this planet has fascinated humans for so long. John is a high school teacher at Richland Center, and has taught courses at the high school and UW - Richland Center on Martian literature. His presentation on Mars has been given at a number of astronomy conventions throughout the Midwest. After his presentation, members will have several telescopes set up for viewing. The fall is a great time for observing galaxies and star clusters, but as Mars rises in the East, it will become the focus of attention. Best viewing of the planet will be from 9 p.m. and later. No fee is charged for the program, but donations are appreciated to help the Starsplitters continue the programming. A state park admission sticker is required for entrance to the park.
Iowa County - Waterfowlers are reporting that there are still some teal and wood ducks hanging around the area of Bakkens Pond as of last weekend. This may have changed with the cooler weather now here though. Also, mallards and ring neck ducks have been in this area west of Spring Green as well. Geese are becoming more scarce in the past week around Spring Green. The cool weather has started the deer moving and bucks are starting to really increase their home range in the past five days. The Iowa County Sheriffs Department has reported that the vehicle-deer collisions are on the rise in the past five days as well. Some bluebirds and robins were still around, but will soon be heading south.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Jefferson County - The water levels on the area rivers and lakes are still low. Almost all of the wetlands are dry due to the drought being experienced and it appears they will remain dry going into the winter. Duck hunters were having limited success in locating birds due to the mild weather. Most of the local birds have gotten pushed out of the area by the hunting pressure and lack of water. A few wood ducks were still around the area as well as mallards. Some hunters have begun to see more gadwall, ring-necks and pintails start to show up but numbers are limited. Goose hunters were having fair success hunting the harvested fields now that the crops are coming off. Squirrel hunters have had some success even though hunting is difficult with most of the leaves remaining on the trees. Pheasant hunters have had good success lately with the cooler weather allowing the dogs to work more without overheating. Pheasant hunters are seeing more birds with the increased stocking on many of the public lands. Archery deer hunters are continuing to shoot antlerless deer to earn their buck tag for the upcoming earn-a-buck season. More car-deer accidents are occurring with the onset of crops being harvested and the hunters moving deer. Snowmobile safety classes are beginning, hopefully anticipating a good snowmobile season.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Bald eagle sightings have been increasing steadily during the past several weeks as the fall bird migration progresses. Good numbers of eagles can be seen along the Mississippi River and Kickapoo River. Eagles, however, are not confined to traveling exclusively along river corridors, so keep a sharp lookout wherever you go. For example, bald eagles have recently been seen flying over Viroqua in central Vernon County, 20 miles from the Mississippi River and 15 miles from the Kickapoo River. Fall turkey hunters have been reporting good success and plenty of birds to hunt. Turkey hunters should be aware that the acorn crop is huge. Therefore, wild turkeys may be spending most of their time feeding in the woods.
Mississippi River - Duck and coot numbers are continuing to increase. Canvasback numbers are likely to peak on Lake Onalaska (pool 7) this week. Numbers on pools 8 and 9 will peak within the next two weeks. Scaup numbers will peak somewhat later. The white pelican migration has likely peaked, but they are still abundant. Double crested cormorant numbers peaked last week. Very few tundra swans have arrived yet. Their numbers will peak just before freeze-up.
Crawford County - The peak fall colors are here. Red, gold, brown, and yellow colors now dominate the landscape. Black walnut, elm, and sumac have pretty much lost their leaves. The Mississippi River rose drastically a week ago but has now begun to recede. The water level rose to 11.7 feet a week ago but by the end of this week it was down over 2 feet to 9.4 feet. The Wisconsin River came up a little bit while the Kickapoo River remained about the same. The receding water levels should reduce the amount of floating debris and weeds. The floating weeds made fishing difficult in most areas and access to the river at some boat landing nearly impossible. Walleye and sauger action started to pick up later in the week, with anglers switching over to minnows. There has been some sauger action on Rotten Slough just off the main channel. The Roseau Slough, the Black Slough, wing dams around the Prairie du Chien and Lynxville/Ferryville have produced walleye at times. The islands along the main channel outside Lynxville, north and south of Cold Spring, and all the way up to Lansing have been producing some nice walleye and sauger, but not every day. Walleye and sauger action at the Lynxville dam was pretty good. Bluegill action was disrupted early this week due to the high water. But later in the week the action started to pick up. Gremore Lake and Cold Spring have been the hottest spots for bluegills. Most anglers were using small pieces of night crawlers but many are starting to switch over to wax worms or spikes. Perch action has been spotty now that the water is up. Crappie action also slowed due to the high water. There had been some good catches using minnows in the snags in many of the backwater sloughs but early in the week the water was too swift to fish in those areas. Some white bass were being taken up near the Lynxville dam and in the Prairie du Chien area. Both channel and flathead catfish continue to bite fairly well. Catfish were being caught in Pool 9 outside of Ferryville and in the East Channel outside of Prairie du Chien. Most catfish are being taken on cut bait, stink bait or nightcrawlers. Sheepshead were still very active and are biting on night crawlers. Anglers report catching many under sized bass. The Spring Lake area, Garnet Lake, the main channel and most sloughs have produced bass. Some largemouth bass have been taken along woody shorelines and weeds in the back sloughs. Anglers fishing on Pool 9 have found bass along the weed edges along the small channels. Smallmouth bass have been active along the Main Channels especially along rocky shorelines and wing dams. Northern pike action was spotty this week. With the opening of the second duck season hunters found the high water disperse the birds. This week the water is coming down and there have been some northern birds moving into the area. Wood ducks, some teal, mallards, shoveler, widgeon, and gadwalls were the main stay for most hunters. Hunters in the Pool 9 area around Ferryville report pretty good action. A pretty large group of canvasback ducks moved into Pool 9 along with some bufflehead, redhead, scaup, and golden-eye. In the Prairie du Chien area duck hunting success was spotty. Most are finding a wood duck or mallard here and there. Archery deer hunters were finding more scrapes along the field edges and in the woods. Most of the bucks are becoming more active. Most of the whitetail bucks are in the beginning stages of the rut. Numerous rubs and scrapes are starting to show up. Deer numbers look very good and reports of archery hunters filling bonus tags on does. Most of the soybeans have been harvested. The beginning of the corn harvest has started. Leaves are starting to fall which should make deer hunting even better. Most of Crawford County lies in Deer Management Unit 74B. All deer hunters are reminded that 74B in NOT a T-Zone this year, therefore the free T-Zone tags that come with both gun and archery deer licenses CAN NOT be used in 74B. White pelicans were still on Pool 9 in the area between Lynxville and Ferryville. A substantial number of migrating waterfowl have showed up in Pool 9 also. A fair number of canvasback ducks, along with other diver ducks, and numerous other duck species can be seen on the pool. The number of birds of prey soaring over the area seemed to diminish somewhat this week. Red winged blackbirds continue their staging activity. Many fall prairie flowers are starting to die off. There appears to be a very good acorn, walnut, and hickory nut crop this year. Some farmers are about done harvesting soybeans and most have begun chopping corn.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Monroe County -Trees have reached their peek color this week. Nights have turned colder and ducks continue to filter through the area with buffleheads, ringnecks, and mallards the most common. Some wood ducks are hanging around in isolated pockets. Deer are becoming more active each day and large bucks are being spotted by hunters. Cranberry harvesting will end by the end of the week on many Warrens-area marshes and beds are still and many beds are full of the red berries. Woodcock have also been seen in alder rows near water as well as an occasional grouse.
Perrot State Park - Colors should peak within a week. This weekend should be a good to view. The shower/flush toilet buildings are closed for the season. Water is available at the maintenance building. Duck season is open in Trempealeau Bay. Campers should be aware they may hear gun shots around sunrise.
Merrick State Park - Color should peak within the next. This weekend should be a good time to view the colors. The flush toilet/shower building is closed for the season. Drinking water is available at the main office. Duck season is open. Lots of ducks remain in the backwaters and hunters are reporting fair success. The dock at the boat landing has been removed for the season. River water levels remain high for this time of year but are dropping daily.
Great River State Trail - Colors should peak within a week. This weekend should be a good time to view the colors. When traveling the northern part of the trail from Marshland into the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge please use the upper trail. The lower portion is soft due to recent construction on it. The trail from Midway to Trempealeau is open to small game, deer bow and waterfowl. Please check hunting regulations for more information on individual seasons.
Buffalo River State Trail - Trees are past peak for colors. The trail is open to small game and bow deer. Please consult the hunting regulations for more information on the seasons.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area - Trails are in great shape overall. Asters are still blooming in the prairie but fall color is fading fast. Songbirds are flocking and heading south. Migrating waterfowl are passing through. Hoffman Hills is not open for any hunting except deer. It will be open for deer hunting in November for the regular deer gun season. It is not open for bow hunting.
Red Cedar State Trail - Fall colors are fading fast. The trail is in very good condition. Some new rest bench areas have been developed by the Friends of Red Cedar Trail for our visitors. One is about 1.3 miles south of the Depot Visitor Center and has a beautiful view of the river and the other is just south of Mile Marker 11. It not only has a great view of the river but also has opened up an enchanting view of one the hidden waterfalls along the south end of the trail. Eagles have been seen along the river. Beaver are raiding the cornfields and dragging their bounty across the trail to the river. You may notice the drag marks and corn shucks where they cross. The river bottom prairies and savannahs provide for some great scenery and wildlife views in the Dunnville Wildlife Area. Restrooms in Downsville are closed for the season. This is the last weekend for the Depot Visitor Center to be open. Ospreys have been seen on the Red Cedar River as they migrate through on their way south. Lots of other migrating waterfowl are passing through. In general Red Cedar State Trail is not open to hunting. However the trail is open to hunting in the Dunnville Wildlife Area which is the last 2 miles on the south end. This is the section south of County Y that junctions with the Chippewa River Trail.
bChippewa River State Trail - Fall colors are fading fast. The trail is in great shape. A new rest bench donated by the Girl Scouts has been placed on a beautiful bend of the Chippewa River near Mile Marker 17. It is great spot to view osprey and other migrating waterfowl! Eagles have also been seen along the river there. Restrooms along the trail are closed for the season. Chippewa River State is open to hunting from Caryville to the junction with the Red Cedar State Trail in the Dunnville Wildlife Area. There is no hunting on the trail from Eau Claire to Caryville.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - The park and wildlife areas A and B are open for the early season of bow hunting (54A). This area is not a T-zone. Only regular bow tags or bonus permits for 54A are allowed. Small game, trapping and waterfowl are allowed in Wildlife areas A and B only. Fall turkey is allowed in wildlife Area B only (15). Statewide youth hunt on Saturday, Oct. 29 is allowed in Wildlife Area B only. Hunters are required to wear at least 50 percent blaze orange on the Oct. 29. Pick up hunting maps with rules at the park office. The park office will register deer during open office hours. Campsites 8, 9, 16, 26-29 and A1-A8, B1-B3 are still open. All other sites are closed. The boat boarding piers and fishing piers have been removed. The north and south shelter wells and beach well are turned off for the winter. Get water at the office during open office hours. Check out the new badger mount in the park office. The 2006 photo contest started on Oct. 1.
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